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Division Spotlight
Mathematics & Computation
Division members promote the advancement of mathematical and computational methods for solving problems arising in all disciplines encompassed by the Society. They place particular emphasis on numerical techniques for efficient computer applications to aid in the dissemination, integration, and proper use of computer codes, including preparation of computational benchmark and development of standards for computing practices, and to encourage the development on new computer codes and broaden their use.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Commercial nuclear innovation "new space" age
In early 2006, a start-up company launched a small rocket from a tiny island in the Pacific. It exploded, showering the island with debris. A year later, a second launch attempt sent a rocket to space but failed to make orbit, burning up in the atmosphere. Another year brought a third attempt—and a third failure. The following month, in September 2008, the company used the last of its funds to launch a fourth rocket. It reached orbit, making history as the first privately funded liquid-fueled rocket to do so.
Praneel P. Gulabrao, Kevin T. Clarno
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 195 | Number 2 | February 2021 | Pages 161-172
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2020.1794455
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Photon buildup is a function of energy, medium, and geometry and therefore must be specifically calculated for the case of interest. The Martian atmosphere, mostly comprising carbon dioxide, is becoming more relevant to radiation researchers and therefore warrants the study of this gas mixture’s buildup properties for ionizing photon flux resulting from the secondary effects of galactic cosmic rays and solar flares. Specifically, this work uses the MCNP6 code to develop energy absorption buildup factors in finite slab models for energies ranging from 40 keV to 15 MeV with Martian regolith as the backscattering medium. The Martian carbon dioxide cycle is accounted for by determining maximum and minimum mean densities as a function of orbital position. An isotropic point source model for the atmosphere is also developed using the geometric progression fitting function. Buildup is bounded to a factor of approximately 23 at 100 keV for normally incident photons at the top of the atmosphere. For conservatism, the design problem neglects coherent scattering but assumes bremsstrahlung effects and uses Klein-Nishina free-electron cross sections for Compton scattering.